To me this musical came down to a single question “who did Rose do this for”.

My mother likes Rose she is in the camp of she did it for June and Louise.

I lean towards she did it for herself. She saw her daughters being stars as her being a star.

Yet I look at it also as this. Rose and her two daughters essentially had no education. Yet Rose with some help navigated through vaudville getting her daughters acts. Would June or Louise been able to position themselves to be successful without their mother getting them in position to be successful. June Havoc had many roles and supporting roles in movies. Louise became Gypsy Rose Lee and she was the biggest ever Burlesque star and novelist and autobiographer.

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Yes both June and Louise did a lot of hard work to be stars. Yet I wonder if my mother is partially right. Without her perserverance and navigating through the early years and teaching them how to perform did she not give them the skills to be successful. Could you not argue she lead them to the door of stardom with the skills to make it?

Although I wonder how much is exaggerated to entertain?

Imelda Staunton was very good. Extremely powerful voice. I did feel some pity at the end for her. I felt no pity for Bette.Midler’s Rose. I saw this live in the 90s it was actually better then Staunton. By a local group also. The actress I saw playing Rose came across manipulative but did not scream every line. During the song with her and Herbie in the restaurant. It was soft and tender. Staunton belted that song in the restaurant. Staunton sang and talked too much in the power range that it became “that’s how Rose talks” although few do in reality

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Staunton did.give an excellent performance. Better then Rosiland Russell. But like Midler veered into caricature territory. Staunton’s final number was heart wrenching.

Peter Davison played Herbie, The one in the suitcoat. Rose’s longtime boyfriend and manager of the act. I liked him. Yet I wonder where has time gone to? Where? I recall him as the fifth Doctor. I recall him as the young assistant on All Creatures Great and Small.

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He has a decent voice.

The one playing Louise was excellent. I love Natalie Wood but she was better. Gotta have to look up her name.

So I did like it a lot and you will have a real.good time seeing it. It will entertain you.